Buying a Home

Conventional belief is that Southern California doesn’t have seasons, or if it does, there’s a wet and a dry season. That’s it. While not accurate, this perception from those on the East Coast or Northwest may seem true, especially on the California coast.

But in Palm Springs, you can experience a full range of seasons, more varied than that in, say, Los Angeles or San Diego.

Winter: December through February

Winters in Palm Springs are among the mildest in the continental United States, with temperatures ranging from around 40 – 70° F (4.5 – 24°C).

Like the rest of Southern California, winter is the rainy season, but Palm Springs only receives about five inches of rain per year. It’s really hard to call that “rainy.”

Palm Springs, centrally located in the Southwest, is within driving distance of several metropolitan areas, and the airport (PSP) provides great service to the Bay Area, the Northwest, and Phoenix. And that makes it easy for all your friends and family to visit you all year long.

Driving to nearby cities

The closest metropolitan area is, of course, Los Angeles, at least in terms of distance. In terms of drive time, that depends on when you leave Palm Springs, and when you return. The 10 freeway is the most common route to get to central LA, and, say, to Santa Monica. But it’s also the most congested. If you leave Palm Springs on weekday mornings or on an Sunday afternoon, you’re bound to get in traffic, no matter which way you go. Early Saturday

Look around. Palm Springs is booming. The last several years have brought new hotels, restaurants, clubs and housing to Palm Springs. Downtown is undergoing a revitalization, and the Uptown Design District is hopping with hip shops and cafes.

What was known as primarily a sleepy retirement community has suddenly morphed into a sexy destination for young people – all year round. Major events follow one after another, especially in season, from the Palm Springs Film Festival to Modernism Week and the Coachella Music Festival. All these visitors need places to stay, to eat, and shop. And those businesses need employees, who need places to live.

So, what’s new on the horizon? Some of the projects you see when driving around town include:

As if searching for the right house, making the offer, and closing escrow aren’t enough, now you actually have to move!

How are you going to furnish the place? If you’re buying in Pam Springs, chances are you’ve selected a contemporary, a Midcentury Modern, or a Spanish/Mediterranean style home. Will your Seattle apartment’s French settee and or your San Francisco Edwardian flat’s Louis VX dining set go with your new digs? And if your Palm Springs home is used as a second home, or maybe as a part-time vacation rental, you’ll have to find some practical, durable furniture.

Luckily, Palm Springs is the place to be for vintage, contemporary and consigned furnishings. Savvy shoppers from all over Southern California make the trip out to the desert

When you pull up listings on various real estate search sites, you might find a “walkability” rating. Tired of always having to get in the car to go somewhere, more people are looking for neighborhoods where they can walk to shops, restaurants and entertainment. Sure, driving around in Palm Springs is nothing like driving around LA (local traffic reporters get all excited when there’s a backup on the 10 during Coachella). But, still, having a “walkable” neighborhood is considered a plus.

So, what are the best walkable neighborhoods in Palm Springs? It depends somewhat on what you’re walking to. But for our purposes, let’s say you want to be able to walk to stores, restaurants, nightlife and, maybe, some hiking.

If you’ve never moved before, prepare for some stress and headaches. Even moving local within the same city can be a vexing process. Between bureaucratic tasks like redirecting mail, changing your billing address, updating your contacts, and minor tasks like getting a new dog sitter and finding a new route to work (or a new job altogether), you’ll have your hands full. And then there are the not-so-simple matters of packing and moving.

The physical, financial, and mental stress of packing your life into containers and moving them into a new place can leave you exhausted in more ways than one. Fortunately, when you’re moving to a place like wonderful Palm Springs, CA, you’ll have all the necessary moving amenities nearby.

Want to move to Palm Springs but worry you won’t be able to afford it? If you’re over 55 and you live in certain California counties, consider Prop 90.

Proposition 90 is a 22-year-old initiative that enables homeowners 55 years or older to transfer the base year value of their principal residence in one participating county to a newly purchased residence in another participating county provided that certain requirements are met. Palm Springs is an ideal destination for retirement because it is in Riverside County, a Prop 90 particiant.

To qualify for the program, applicants and properties must meet the following requirements per the California Board of Equalization:

1. At the date of transfer of the original property, the transferor (seller) must

Nestled in the valley adjacent to the San Jacinto Mountains, it comes as no surprise that the city of Palm Springs is on the cusp of an incredible network of hiking trails and natural marvels. Petticoat palms, red rock formations, and Native American art make the area well worth exploring. With spring temperatures rising and the sun shining, there's never been a better time to strap on a pair of good shoes and go for a hike.

These are the top neighborhoods to live in if you love to hike:

Indian Canyons

The Palm Springs neighborhood of Indian Canyons is one of the finest golf communities in the city. This subdivision is located on the city's southernmost frontier and is framed between well-watered fairways and mountainous ridges. Residents of

On a drive down Palm Canyon Drive, one can't help but notice the network of construction fences, cranes, and the frantic heartbeat of jackhammers biting into concrete. The source of the commotion is that Palm Springs is redeveloping its Downtown. The new area is slated to include a mixture of luxury hotels, high-end lofts, and numerous retail and restaurant spaces.

However, not everyone has been excited to see the development underway. Some members of the community have raised concerns over whether or not the architectural style of these new buildings will stay true to the Modern charm that gives Palm Springs its character. Just off the intersection of South Calle El Segundo and Ramon Road, a mere block from the south end of the Downtown strip,

Any Palm Springs real estate agent can tell you that this desert city is well known its mid-century modern homes. The building style was immensely popular and mid-century homes can be found across the city. The majority of these houses date back to the 1950s and 60s and many developments were designed by significant architects like David Wexler and William Cody. Despite the fact that some of these properties are more than a half a century old, these houses still have a great appeal on the market.

If you're considering buying a home in Palm Springs, here are a few reasons you should put mid-century modern homes at the top of your list.

Open-Concept Design

Open-concept living spaces aren't just popular amongst mid-century modern homes, they're